Version 1.0: -Basic FAQ (according to the most asked questions in our forum)

Thanks to Blackosx, BladeRunner, Gringo Vermelho, tempolo + anyone else (I might be forgetting now) who took time to document / provide help to others in the form of step-by-step tips/guides.

Version 1.1: - minor editing (typos, etc), - section of Customizing & Fine-tuning Chameleon now includes a Themes FAQ(#11), - FAQ#10 polished to demarcate Kernel Flags from Booter Options - the section of Miscellanea now includes the contributions of our funky members. You guys rock, thank you - FAQ#6 now includes a note about guides/"guides".

More info will be integrated when we get out of v2 beta.

Memo to self: I have to come up with a better idea regarding the FAQ's layout because its a royal pita to edit.

If multi-booting a ton of different OSs in a single computer is your game, then you're supposed to understand the basics of multi-booting. It's a good idea to read the README & BootHelp.txt files too. If you know what you're doing and can reproduce a bug, please file a bug report.

Use whatever bootloader/software you like and be happy. No one is forcing you to use Chameleon. Calling names won't get you very far.

Please note that by now Chameleon releases are mirrored in blogs/sites/forums all over the net. Official releases will only be available from the two sources mentioned above. Also note that lot of people tend to confuse other bootloaders with Chameleon. In short, you can use whatever you like, just go to the same place/person for support/questions.

3c. But I see all those listings/places on the web that sell ready-made hackintoshes? Some claim that their machines run Chameleon!

It's your money, it's your call, just don't deceive yourself: There's real Macs that you buy from Apple and there's hacks that you build yourself (usually for the kicks of it). If you want to pay someone to build a hack for you, that's fine. Just remember to go to the same person for support.

Either manually or via an installer package. The best way is to install manually.

There're newbie-friendly installer packages but:• There're still options that have to be understood (they just come in the form of "click me" buttons).• Some users reported unexpected results when using the installer.

5. How do I install Chameleon manually? How do I upgrade/downgrade Chameleon?

Download and extract the version that you're after (usually the latest) and take a look inside the folder. There's a folder containing documents (README & BootHelp.txt) about installing and configuring Chameleon (we also maintain a copy of these documents here in the forum). If you do not understand a bit then you should keep reading (no picking) or use the installer and cross your fingers that you'll click the right buttons. Honestly, if you don't understand what's going on then you're better off reading about it.

The lengthy version of installing Chameleon is this:

• You install boot0 (or chain0) file to the MBR. [This is stage 0, responsible for loading stage 1]• You install the boot1h file to your partition's bootsector. [This is stage 1, responsible for finding the boot file]• You install the boot file to your partition's root directory (/). [This is stage 2, the main bootloader that loads kernel, KEXTs and other Chameleon-related files]• You create a folder called Extra in the root (/) of your partition, that contains Chameleon-related files (KEXTs, com.apple.boot.plist, Themes etc.).

Tip: boot0 & boot1h get installed in places you wouldn't look at regularly. The rest of the files go into one single place. Visual reference can be found here.

You upgrade/downgrade to a different version of Chameleon by replacing your old /boot file with the one from the release that you're after. You may want to read again the lengthy version of the installation process, it also explains how you "uninstall" Chameleon.

By now, there must be a trillion of other guides on how to install Chameleon scattered around other blogs/forums/sites. If you'd like to follow any of them that's fine. Just go back to them for support or questions. Anything official will be included in this forum only.

- A dude documenting his installation steps is not a big deal. Even though his intentions are good (help others), you can do the same thing (document your installation steps).

- If you follow a cookbook approach elsewhere, you'll most likely ask questions here that won't make sense (since you do not understand what you're doing). Following fancy scripts/commands that will impress your neighbour but leave you clueless, will only end in tears.

- Not all hacks are built alike. Hacks even with the same motherboard but different graphics card, require different customization.

- Forget the whole "easyness" myth (some of us, seasoned/experienced/developers members are used to congratulate one another for pushing things forward but that does not mean that building a hack is easy for people with no technical background).

- 95% of the hacks documented around sites/blogs/forums are broken (not as in cracks in your PC case but as in a half-baked, crawling Mac OS X installation).

7. Where should I install Chameleon? EFI or MacOS X partition? What's the deal with EFI? Will it turn my PC into a real Mac?

Wherever you like (or wherever fits your needs/taste best). EFI is a hidden partition in the GUID Partition Table scheme. Beginners will (most likely) find it easier to install Chameleon to the partition that holds their Mac OS X installation.

One advantage of installing Chameleon into the EFI partition is the ability to have a 100% vanilla installation of Mac OS X, because all your hacked/extra files will reside in a hidden partition leaving your retail installation untouched.

One disadvantage of installing Chameleon into the EFI partition is that you have to manually mount, unmount and maintain it in good order every time you want to make changes to it.